Women's Soccer Scene

Women's Football News


Latest News	Women's Football TV	News Archive	Search	Get the Mag

Share page on Social Media: f Share t G+ find us on Twitter: @wssmagnews
Women's Football News

We can compete - Kelly

Women's Football News 13 Jul 2006

We can compete - Kelly - 13 Jul 2006 - Women's Football News

England play their first international tournament of the season when their under-21s take part in the annual Nordic Cup next week.

Kelly McDougall is a member of the squad travelling out to Norway and she is optimistic that England can build on last year's encouraging third place finish.

"We took people by surprise last year when we did so well," Kelly told Women's Soccer Scene. "We probably have a slightly better squad now and we'll be striving to do better this time around."

England play their first group match against Finland on Sunday and follow up with matches against Sweden and Germany, but Kelly is not fazed by the draw. "Any team in the tournament would be a tough draw as they are all good sides," she admits, "but as we have proved in the past, we can compete with the higher ranked teams.

"It's all about making sure we are prepared and being confident that we can win the games. In our last match, we beat the USA so we know we can get results against the top teams.

"We trained for the first time today (before departure) and we looked really sharp. I am confident we can play well and achieve something over there - it's a great chance to develop on last year's finish.

"It's an excellent tournament to be a part of - the atmosphere is great and the standard is very good."

For Kelly, the Nordic Cup provides an excellent opportunity to get back into the England fold once more. "I haven't participated in any international matches for a while, so it is a chance to get back into the swing of things. My last appearance was for the under-21s against the USA back in February and I have been busy finishing my degree in the meantime. I have just returned from a tour of Canada with my club Everton where we played four matches, so that has helped with my match fitness.

"For me, it's a case of getting back into it and hopefully getting back into consideration for the senior squad with some good performances."